Methods and systems for remotely removing metadata from electronic documents

Abstract

A method and system for removing metadata from email attachments sent from mobile devices includes receiving an email with an attached document. The attached document has metadata removed to create a cleansed version of the attached document. The attached document is replaced by the cleansed version of the attached document, and the email is sent according to the address or addresses included in the email.

1 - 50 . (canceled) 
     
     
         51 . A computer-based system for remotely cleaning metadata from electronic documents, comprising:
 an intermediate computer that is remote from an electronic device, the intermediate computer including a memory storing instructions, wherein the instructions include a metadata cleansing policy; and   a processor programmed to:
 receive a first email with an attached first electronic document from the electronic device, 
 receive a second email with an attached second electronic document from the electronic device, 
 execute the metadata cleansing policy to remove at least a portion of metadata from the first electronic document, 
 execute the metadata cleansing policy to remove no metadata from the second electronic document, 
 transmit, to a delivery address, the first email with the first electronic document having at least a portion of metadata removed, and 
 transmit the second email with the second electronic document to the delivery address or a different delivery address. 
   
     
     
         52 . The computer-based system of  claim 51 , wherein the processor is further programmed to execute the metadata cleansing policy to generate an alert requesting confirmation from a user of the electronic device that at least a portion of metadata should be removed from the first electronic document. 
     
     
         53 . The computer-based system of  claim 51 , wherein the processor is further programmed to execute the metadata cleansing policy to generate an alert requesting confirmation from a user of the electronic device that no metadata should be removed from the second electronic document. 
     
     
         54 . The computer-based system of  claim 51 , wherein the processor is further programmed to execute the metadata cleansing policy to remove all metadata from the first electronic document. 
     
     
         55 . The computer-based system of  claim 51 , wherein the metadata cleansing policy specifies removing at least a portion of metadata from the first electronic document based on a designated recipient of the first email. 
     
     
         56 . The computer-based system of  claim 51 , wherein the metadata cleansing policy specifies removing no metadata from the second electronic document based on a designated recipient of the second email. 
     
     
         57 . The computer-based system of  claim 51 , wherein the metadata cleansing policy specifies removing at least a portion of metadata from the first electronic document based on the sender of the first email. 
     
     
         58 . The computer-based system of  claim 51 , wherein the metadata cleansing policy specifies removing at least a portion of metadata from the first electronic document based on a file type of the first electronic document. 
     
     
         59 . The computer-based system of  claim 51 , wherein the metadata cleansing policy specifies removing at least a portion of metadata from the first electronic document based on an author metadata of the first electronic document. 
     
     
         60 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for remotely cleaning metadata from an electronic document, the instructions including a metadata cleansing policy, wherein the instructions cause one or more computer processors to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, at an intermediate computer that is remote from an electronic device, a first email with an attached first electronic document from the electronic device,   receiving, at the intermediate computer, a second email with an attached second electronic document from the electronic device,   executing the metadata cleansing policy to remove at least a portion of metadata from the first electronic document,   executing the metadata cleansing policy to remove no metadata from the second electronic document,   transmitting, to a delivery address, the first email with the first electronic document having at least a portion of metadata removed, and   transmitting the second email with the second electronic document to the delivery address or a different delivery address.   
     
     
         61 . The storage medium of  claim 60 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to further perform the operation of executing the metadata cleansing policy to generate an alert requesting confirmation from a user of the electronic device that at least a portion of metadata should be removed from the first electronic document. 
     
     
         62 . The storage medium of  claim 60 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to further perform the operation of executing the metadata cleansing policy to generate an alert requesting confirmation from a user of the electronic device that no metadata should be removed from the second electronic document. 
     
     
         63 . The storage medium of  claim 60 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to further perform the operation of executing the metadata cleansing policy to remove all metadata from the first electronic document. 
     
     
         64 . The storage medium of  claim 60 , wherein the metadata cleansing policy specifies removing at least a portion of metadata from the first electronic document based on a designated recipient of the first email. 
     
     
         65 . The storage medium of  claim 60 , wherein the metadata cleansing policy specifies removing no metadata from the second electronic document based on a designated recipient of the second email. 
     
     
         66 . The storage medium of  claim 60 , wherein the metadata cleansing policy specifies removing at least a portion of metadata from the first electronic document based on the sender of the first email. 
     
     
         67 . The storage medium of  claim 60 , wherein the metadata cleansing policy specifies removing at least a portion of metadata from the first electronic document based on a file type of the first electronic document. 
     
     
         68 . The storage medium of  claim 60 , wherein the metadata cleansing policy specifies removing at least a portion of metadata from the first electronic document based on an author metadata of the first electronic document. 
     
     
         69 . A computer-based method for cleaning metadata from electronic documents according to a metadata cleansing policy, the method comprising:
 receiving, at an intermediate computer that is remote from an electronic device, a first email with an attached first electronic document from the electronic device,   receiving, at the intermediate computer, a second email with an attached second electronic document from the electronic device,   executing the metadata cleansing policy to remove at least a portion of metadata from the first electronic document,   executing the metadata cleansing policy to remove no metadata from the second electronic document,   transmitting, to a delivery address, the first email with the first electronic document having at least a portion of metadata removed, and   transmitting the second email with the second electronic document to the delivery address or a different delivery address.   
     
     
         70 . The computer-based method of  claim 69 , wherein the metadata cleansing policy specifies removing a least a portion of metadata from the first electronic document based on one or more of the following:
 a designated recipient of the first email,   a sender of the first email,   a file type of the first electronic document, or   an author metadata of the first electronic document.